Baby tender



July 1, 1947. c, 5, KROGH 2,423,392

V BABY TENDER Filed Aug. 26, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l M 1, 1947. s, KROGH 2,423,392

BABY TENDER Filed Aug. 26, 1946 2 SheetS She-et 2 @0220 5&5. z 4 fijiz/ Patented July 1, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BABY TENDER Charlotte S. Krogh, Compton, Calif.

Application August 26, 1946, Serial No. 693,128

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a baby tender or to a device in which an infant may be placed on a bed or in a play pen and allowed to remain therein with security against injuring himself and yet permit adequate freedom of movement.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character consisting essentially of a sheet or section of fabric adapted to be tied or otherwise suitably anchored at its corners on a bed or in the bottom of a play pen and which has a torso covering garment attached thereto near the center of the sheet in which the infant may be placed. The attaching means is so designed and so arranged as to permit the infant While in the garment to roll from side to side with adequate freedom of movement and to even rise to a sitting position when this is desired.

More specifically an object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the torso covering garment is formed of a single section of fabric which can be positioned in a flat manner over the sheet and which provides a front and back foldably connected together with a head and neck receiving opening arranged near the fold and with tapering extremities that can be connected together beneath the crotch of the infant. This garment is attached to the sheet near its center by crossed or oppositely extending ties enabling the infant in the garment to roll from side to side. Means are provided for detachably connecting the sides of the front and back together thus facilitating the positioning of the infant within the garment or its removal therefrom and by virtue of the fact that the garment extends beneath the crotch as well as over the shoulders'shifting of the garment or restraining means relatively to the infants body is adequately prevented.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claim, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial view in vertical section taken substantially upon the line 2-2 upon Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial view in elevation illustrating the upper portion of the torso covering garment in closed position; and

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are perspective views illustrating the manner in which the device may be used.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved baby tender comprises a sheet or section of fabric l0 having at its corners ties H or equivalent fastening devices by which the sheet may be anchored at its corners only over a supporting surface such as a bed, mattress or the bottom of a lay pen. As is illustrated in Fig. 4 these ties may be employed to fasten the corners of the sheet to corner posts P of a bed. On this sheet there is positioned a torso covering garment consisting of a fiat section of fabric generally indicated at I2. This section of fabric provides a back forming portion l3 and a front l4 foldably connected at opposite sides of a head and neck receiving opening [5 so that the portions indicated at l6 and I1 are adapted to overlie the shoulders of the wearer. The front [4 may be split downwardly from the opening l5 as indicated at I8 and suitable ties l9 may be secured to the sides of this split for detachably fastening its sides together. Any equivalent type of separable fastener may be used to hold the sides of the split together. Similar ties indicated at 20 and 2| may be fastened to the side edges of the front and back of the garment and these ties may be fastened together across the sides of the wearer beneath its arms. Any equivalent separable fastener for fastening the Sides together may be employed. The extremities of the section l2 are tapered and are adapted to be fastened together beneath the crotchof the wearer such as by a safety pin or any equivalent fastener.

Two oppositely extending and overlapping fabric ties indicated at 22 and 23 have their outer ends stitched or otherwise fastened to the sheet I!) at approximately the center thereof. The inner or overlapped ends of these ties are stitched or are otherwise fastened in overlapping relationship to the underside of the back l3. Preferabl fabric tabs 24 and 25 are stitched or otherwise secured to the sheet In along one edge of each tab adjacent the side edges of the back I3.

In the use of the device the sheet is suitably anchored at its corners by tying the ties I i The infant may then be positioned on the back !3 with its head approximately over the opening I 5. The front I4 may then be drawn downwardly over the infant, the opening of the split I8 facilitating the insertion of the head and neck of the infant through the opening. The tapering extremity of the front l4 may then be pinned or otherwise fastened to the tapered extremity of the back l3 beneath the crotch. The ties 20 and 2| may then be fastened across the sides of the infant and the ties l9 tied to close the split l8. When the infant is thus enclosed Within the torso covering garment provided by the fabric section [2, it may be left with safety and security against the infant injuring himself. At the same time adequate freedom of movement is afforded in that if the infant rolls from side to side one of the cross ties 22 and 23 will merely unwind while the other tie winds up over the back 53 as is indicated by dotted lines on Fig. 2. When only two crossed ties 22 and 23 are used it is possible for the infant to turn about relatively to the sheet in one direction.

Inasmuch as the sheet 50 covers considerable area and is anchored only at its corners or at points definitely out of alignment with the lengths of the ties 22 and 23 it is possible for the infant to sit up as illustrated in Fig. 5. During such sitting the ties 22 and 23 may elevate a portion of the sheet Ill from the supporting surface which is readily permitted due to the fact that the anchoring points for the sheet are located at the remote corners.

If it is desired to cover the infant while in the baby tender eitherfor sleeping purposes or to protect the infant against cold temperatures, blankets or other bed clothes may be positioned over the infant enclosed in the garment and pinned o1- othervvise fastened to the tabs 2% and 25. Complete freedom of movement including rolling from side to side is permitted beneath the blanket illustrated in Fig. 6, but danger of the blanket becoming displaced or the infant otherwise being uncovered is effectively prevented by the anchoring tabs 22 and 25.

It will be appreciated that the improved baby tender is of relatively simple construction and may be easily and economically manufactured. As the garment can be laid out flat laundering and ironing of the garment as well as the sheet is easily accomplished. Inasmuch as the garment crosses not only the shoulders of the infant but also passes beneath the crotch shifting of the garment or restraining means relatively to the infants body is effectively prevented. I have observed that where merely a belt or harness is positioned about an infant that usually such belt will work upwardly relatively to the infants body becoming not only uncomfortable but in some instances becoming dangerous and tending to choke.

While the present construction has been primarily devised for infants, it will be appreciated that it may also be used if appropriately sized for insane persons, sleep Walkers, and the like.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A device of the class described comprising a sheet adapted to be positioned on a bed and to extend from side to side thereof, means for anchoring the corners of the sheet to the bed at the sides thereof, a garment having a front and back integrally connected and having a neck receiving opening at the juncture between the front and back, means for detachably fastening the sides of the garment about the sides of an infant, the ends of the garment being tapered and adapted to be connected beneath the crotch of the infant, ties secured to the back of the garment intermediate the neck opening and its tapered end, said ties being arranged in overlapping relation and extending from their respective points of attachment to the back of the garment in opposite directions toward the opposite sides of the sheet and having their ends secured to the sheet intermediate and remote from the corners and sides of the sheet.

CHARLOTTE S, KROGH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,316,602 Lee Apr. 13, 1943 1,475,892 Sohn Nov, 27, 1923 1,502,276 Siebert July 22, 1924 1,048,033 Brown Dec. 24, 1912 1,309,487 Reeser et al. v July 8, 1919 

